Mother
by TTarTrainer
Summary: After poachers kill her herd and injure her mother, a young Kangaskhan must shoulder the burdens of responsibility to protect and care for them both.


The day is sunny and warm. The endless cerulean sky above me is free of clouds, and below me, the emerald grass stretches on as far as my young russet eyes can see. Here and there trees juts from the soft ground, spreading their mighty limbs and letting the wind whisper through their beautiful silver-green leaves.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scents of grass and warm soil. A third smell is better than even the sweetest flower, though; that of my mother. It's comforting and familiar, safe and heavy with love. I stretch my small gray body and turn to face the tan mass that was Momma.

She's a Kangaskhan of beauty and strength, at least to me. Despite the fact that she's ill, horribly ill. Her once-tough scales have softened; her slate-gray horns have chipped from simple cleanings. Her white talons, once sharp and deadly, have broken at the tips and become blunt stubs. Where she was once lean and massive, the illness that has plagued her for nearly a year has made her thin and bony. Her ribs are visible, her stomach sunk in. No matter how much she eats, she never seems to gain weight. But her eyes…those brilliant sapphire eyes, even when glazed in pain, they never change. They're always so bright and full of life and love and will.

"Jeena," Momma says as I walk toward where she lies, curled on her side in a loose ball. Her stubby tail weakly drags through the grass as she sighs softly. "My dear, do you think you can go and get us some nice berries and fruits for breakfast? And some of those juicy roots you found yesterday. I think they'll go together nicely, I do."

"Of course," I say, nodding. I then turn and hurry off, heading to where a group of berry bushes grow. I pass no one as I go, and that's just fine with me. Momma is in no shape to do any fighting for any reason. She's barely well enough to get up to go to the bathroom. So I have to do all the fighting. I have to protect our food and our territory, but most importantly, I have to protect Momma. We could join a herd, but they move around too much, and Momma wouldn't be able to keep up. Besides, humans like attacking big groups of us, and so it's more dangerous for Momma in a herd than it is on our own. In fact, that's the reason Momma is as ill as she is now.

As I walk on towards the bushes, I find myself remembering that awful day…

* * *

_It's rainy outside, but in Momma's pouch, it's warm and dry. I'm half-asleep when I hear the screaming start._

_I startle awake and poke my head out of Momma's pouch. Fat, cold drops of water splash into my eyes, blinding me for a few seconds. I blink rapidly to clear my vision, but I don't need to see to know what's going on. The rain obscures my sight, but not my hearing._

_"Man! Man in our territory!" The deep, booming voice of Chaka, the male leader of the herd._

_"Defense! Protect the young and the mothers!" Jio, Chaka's mate and female head of the herd. There are bellows and squeals as the juveniles, males, and unbred females fall into position. I reach up with a stubby paw and rub my eyes, finally clearing them and seeing for the first time what's happening._

_Five mothers with young in their pouches, Momma included, are surrounded by the strong bodies of the rest of the herd. Chaka and Jio are standing a few feet away, roaring and stomping their heavy feet at the intruders. I hear shouts, the voices of humans yelling, and then I hear the bangs._

_More screams, and I watch, not fully understanding but feeling instinctive fear, as Jio shrieks and falls to the ground. Chaka roars again, anger and fear in his voice, and he leaps forward. Then one of the young males steps in front of me and blocks my view. I can still hear though. More bangs, more cries of pain and fury and terror._

_Then chaos. Someone gives a retreat-cry, and I realize with fear that it's Chaka. His voice is pitched high in anguish, and when he manages to speak, death is in his tone:_

_"Flee! Flee, there are too many, armed too well! Flee, friends, and farewell…" And his voice is drowned out by the sounds of a stampede. Those who are defending us break rank and dash off blindly, and several of them collapse to the muddy ground as more bangs ring out._

_The mothers flee too, all except Momma. Instead of running away, she screams loud and long, then charges forward. I see small shapes running around, see Momma change course and bear down on one of them. As the human faces us and raises a long, thin gray stick, I duck down into Momma's pouch and curl into a tight ball. A muffled bang, and yet another screech. My heart freezes: the scream is Momma's!_

_Then more running, and the terrible sounds of injured, dying Kangaskhan and the loud bangs slowly fades. Soon it's just the sound of Momma's feet hitting the ground as she runs. That suddenly stops, and a second later there's a jarring crash. It's strong enough to knock me out of Momma's pouch. I land on the wet, mud-slick grass and roll a few times, then come to a stop._

_Once I snap out of my daze, I stand and see that Momma has fallen on her belly. I scowl and walk over to her, my legs a little wobbly. I've only been out of Momma's pouch a few times, so I'm not really used to walking yet. I manage though, and when I reach Momma, I see something thick and red running down her right arm._

_"Mmm-Mah-Momma?" I inquire. I'm not used to talking either, though I know a few words. "Momma…okay?"_

_"I'm fine, love," Momma gasps, and she sounds far from fine. She sounds like she's in pain, and hurt-smell is coming off her in waves. I feel afraid and press myself against her side, whimpering softly. "Just let me rest a moment, dear, that's a good girl…"_

* * *

As the weeks passed, Momma's condition had only gotten worse. Within a month, her arm had become black. The wound was constantly oozing runny blood and horrid-smelling, green-yellow pus. She couldn't move it, and it caused her a great deal of pain. Now, nearly half a year later, it has gone from a swollen, blackened limb to a shriveled, skeletal thing that looks little more than bones wrapped in leathery black fabric. The wound still hasn't healed, but at least it doesn't leak that fluid anymore.

With a start, I realize I'm at the berry bushes. I blink, shaking my head and pushing away the bad memories of that day. Now's not the time to linger on them, not when Momma needs her breakfast.

I walk to the squat little bushes, each covered with thistle-like, silver leaves. Nestled among these leaves, in groups of six and seven, are large blue berries with rough skins. I reach out and grab several pawfuls, dropping them into my small pouch. I pop a few in my mouth and chew them, savoring the sweet, slightly sour taste. Then I grab one last pawful and turn, trundling off to one of the trees in the distance.

I slowly eat the berries in my paw as I waddle along. As I walk, the sun rises higher into the sky, and the comfortable warmth of the morning starts to turn to sticky heat. I move faster, and about ten minutes later, I reach the shade of a massive fruit tree. I'm not sure what kind of fruit they are, but they're tasty and filling.

The branches are high above me, but I've perfected a way of getting the fruit. Most Kangaskhan of my age are barely capable of walking a dozen steps without some accident or another. But I'm different. I've been foraging for food and protecting Momma for months, so I'm a good fighter. I've learned many moves other joeys don't know, and one of them is the just the thing for freeing the tasty green food from the trees.

I look up at the fruit, squinting to judge distance, and therefore how much power to use. There are several about fifteen feet high, a big bunch of the round, lumpy things. I nod, balling a small paw into a tight fist and cocking my arm, pulling it back until my fist is behind my head. Then I lean back on one foot, to get more momentum. I study the wide, thick trunk of the tree, covered in tough black bark. I've got the find just the right place…there!

I leap forward, throwing my fist out with lightning speed and slamming it square in the middle of the tree. The whole thing shudders, and the recoil of the blow knocks me on my tail. But the payoff is worth the discomfort and the degradation. The bunch of fruit hits the ground about a foot in front of me.

I get to my feet and grab it up, sticking it in my pouch along with the berries. Luckily, the prior is undamaged by my little tumble. I shift the food around so the berries won't get squished, break a fruit from the rest of the bunch, and head on my way to collect the last item of breakfast.

I eat the fruit as I walk, my pouch bulging burdensomely because of the bunch inside it. I don't bother complaining, and besides, I'd suffer any discomfort to provide for Momma. After all, she's defended me more times than I can count.

The sun beats down on me as I walk, and the heat quickly becomes oppressive. Still I walk on, heading for a dried-out little creek bed. Beside this grows a scrub, consisting of tiny brown branches covered in sharp spines. Fragile little pink blossoms of some kind grow on the branches. These aren't of any interest though. When I reach the scrub, I use the claws on my right foot to dig into the rocky soil that covers this area of the plains.

After several minutes I find what I'm looking for. The roots of the scrub are thin and scraggly upon first being unearthed, but further digging shows they fatten up and become quite large. Their size comes mostly from the amount of water they absorb here: even though the creek bed is dried up, there's still a vestigial river that flows about three feet below the surface. It's not enough to keep a creek going, but it's more than adequate to keep a scrub well watered.

I carefully use my claws to sever about four of the roots, then gingerly bend up and gather them together. I then stand and turn, feeling good about the haul. I start gnawing on one of the rich, earthy roots, having to swallow often because of all the water it holds. Everything else is for Momma.

I head off, but I don't get very far when instinct tells me to duck into the tall green grass all around. I get as close to the warm, loamy-smelling ground as I can, without dropping or crushing my bounty. I get as comfortable as possible such a position, then become absolutely still. I strain my ears, listening for whatever threat my senses noticed before I consciously did.

Then I hear voices. Human voices. My heart starts beating harder, my pulse races. My breath comes faster, and fear starts to creep into my brain and belly. I remember what was done to the old herd by humans, and even though I want to flee I'm frozen to the spot.

"I heard tell th' ol' female 'n' 'er babe was seen 'round these parts 'bout a day er so ago," says a deep voice, probably belonging to a male. I don't understand what he's saying, but the tone isn't threatening or anything. Still, I don't dare move or give away my position in any way. "Th' female's not doin' so well, that's obvi'us. 'Er arm's shot ta hell 'n' back, 'n' she's getting' skinnier each day. We gotta bring 'er in soon-like, or she might very well kick th' bucket out here. Same goes fer th' babe. We've heard th' li'l thing's been a-fightin' and a-gatherin' food fer 'er mom, but she's li'l 'n' young. I'm 'onestly surprised she ain't been picked off by some hungry scoundrel or 'nother yet, or killed by them damnable poachers what done killed mos' o' 'er ol' herd."

"Well, I say we look in the last spot they were seen. I really think we should have acted sooner; we might have been able to save the mother's arm. As it is now, the infection that she's got has probably run rampant too long for us to really do anything for her. Then again, she's toughed it out so far, so maybe she'll manage to pull through. It'll be a miracle though: it's already one that she's still alive, and that the youngster is too."

"Ain't nut'ing we coulda done afore this 'n' you know it. Th' stress woulda been too much fer both th' female 'n' the li'l one," the first human says. "But afore we go a-looking, let's go 'n' grab us something ta eat."

Soon the voices are gone, and I feel safe enough to rise from my hiding spot. Slowly, I lift my head until I can see over the grass. I look around, not seeing any humans, and hastily head off for Momma.

I reach her about fifteen minutes later. Her eyes are half-closed and her sides are heaving. I know she's having one of her fits, and though I want to help, I've learned to stay away from her during these horrible episodes. Just as I come to a stop, she starts twitching. Then the twitches grow into shakes, which become violent shuddering, and finally escalate into an awful series of convulsions. Her limbs lash out, her body writhes from side to side, stomach to belly. Her jaws swing open, gaping, and then snap shut. Her head jerks back and forth, and thin, tinny squeals claw from her throat. Her eyes are the worst. They fly open all the way and have rolled to show just the whites. I stare at her, feeling scared and hopeless and helpless and worthless. I'm afraid she might die this time, like I'm afraid she will every time the fits come. I'm afraid to get close enough to try and comfort her though, and that makes me feel ashamed, cowardly. But after the time she almost bit one of my arms off, it doesn't matter how bad I feel. I'm just too scared to go near her.

I wait, and it seems to go on forever and ever. But slowly, agonizingly slowly, Momma becomes still. When the fit is over, she's covered in sweat, and foam is smeared around her jaws. Her eyes slide shut all the way, and there is silence. I wait a few minutes longer, until Momma's eyes peel open. Only then do I feel safe enough to approach her. Slowly she turns her head to face me, pain and regret in those brilliant eyes.

"Oh, love, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you'd returned. You haven't been waiting long, have you?" Her voice is strained and weak, like it always is after she's suffered one of her fits.

"No Momma, I only just got back," I answer, waddling over and pressing myself into her shoulder. "I got breakfast."

"Oh, how lovely," Momma says as I pull the fruit and roots from my belly pouch. I hold them out and place the berries in Momma's mouth for her, watch as she chews, then swallows with a wince. Then I feed her the green fruits, one at a time, until the six of them are gone. Finally, I give her the roots. Once everything's gone, Momma gives a soft rumble and lays her chin on the ground.

"Momma," I say after a few minutes of silence, "I…I heard something when I was getting breakfast. Humans." As I speak, I sit down and lean against her warm scales. I tilt my head back and stare at the broad, leafy branches splayed out above us. Golden sunlight streams through the ever-shifting spaces between the leaves, dappling the shade of the tree we've been residing under the past few days.

"Humans?" Momma repeats, and I hear anxiety in her voice. I feel bad for upsetting her, but I know it's something she needs to know about. "Where? How many?"

"Out by the old creek bed," I reply. "I didn't see them, but I heard two of them talking. I stayed hidden until they left…"

"Good, that was a smart thing to do. But this means we must move. We can't risk being found by the humans who attacked our herd. You've grown strong and wise in the past few months, but neither of us are any match for their guns and bullets."

"But Momma, you can't move! You're too weak! We can stay here, there's lots of food and little streams all over, and the only other Pokemon out here are-"

"Little one, there are dangers out here you are unaware of. Tauros move through these plains, and they are very aggressive. Scyther pass this way too, and many are vicious enough to attack a weakened Pokemon if they think it'll be an easy meal. Prides of Luxray and Luxio roam, and you never see them because they can move soundlessly through this tall grass. Scavengers and other fierce carnivores often stalk these areas in search of prey. This place is far from safe. There's no place that's perfectly safe, but there are places that are safer than this. I believe I've saved the strength for us to find another place, but let us wait until nightfall. Fewer eyes will be looking for food then, and humans don't function as well in the dark. We'll stay here and stay still until then."

I want to say something, to try to convince her that we're fine where we are. But I know, deep inside, that she's right. We have to move, though I hate the idea of what the strain of moving will do to Momma.

So instead of speaking, I remain silent. It's not long before Momma's asleep. Sleeping is what she does most of the time now, and I feel most at ease when she's slumbering. It's the only time she's not in constant pain.

The hours stretch on, the sun rises higher, the heat grows heavier. I grow uneasy and finally clamber to my feet, stretching and peering around. I decide I'll go get some roots for when Momma wakes up, in case she's hungry. After a quick look to make sure it's safe, I slink into the tall grass and head off for the creek bed.

I have to rest several times as I walk, because it's a little after noon, and that's always the hottest part of the day. I'm around a mile away from the scrub when I take another break, lying down on my belly and panting a little. The smell of hot dirt presses against my nostrils, and I fight the urge to sneeze. Instead, I sniff a few times to get the musty scent from my nose, when I hear a faint sort of humming. The humming quickly gets louder and becomes something like a dull roar.

Confused and scared, I go against my better judgment and stand, peering out over the grass. I see a huge square-shaped thing moving quickly through the grass. Its legs look weird, and there are no paws or hands or feet. The legs are round and close to the side of the shiny black body. Its back humps up high over the rest of it, and its short muzzle juts from its front. Smoke is trailing from its rear, and even when I look closely I see no tail.

Then one of the black marks near its head moves down, and a smaller shape pokes out. I blink in surprise when I realize it's a human! I wonder how the human is in the strange creature, and if it hurts either of them. Maybe that weird mark is really the thing's mouth, and the human is trying to escape being eaten?

Then the mark, or mouth, or whatever, closes again. The thing roars off, and it takes me a moment to realize that it's headed in Momma's direction!

The roots forgotten, I rush off after the beast, my heart crashing against my chest as I run. I don't know if the thing is actually going towards Momma, but I can't risk leaving her alone in hopes that it doesn't go after her. So I run, and within moments my lungs are on fire. My throat becomes raw, and when I gasp in air it stings fiercely. A stitch grows in both sides, and my legs start cramping up. On I run, though, determined to reach Momma before anything bad can happen to her, Even when sweat pours into my eyes and blinds me, even when I can barely breathe and it feels like my legs will just fall off, I dash on, on, on.

*Then I see something that makes my stumble and topple painfully to the hot ground. The beast has stopped a few yards from our tree, and the small shapes of humans are hanging around Momma! I rest for just a second when I roll to a stop, then shove to my feet and hurry on. As I draw near them, I start crying out a challenge, hoping to scare the humans and their odd transport-beast away.

Instead of running, though, the two humans turn to face me, scowls on their faces. The taller, wider one, who's covered in white skin on the top of his body and dark tan skin on his bottom, tilts his head a little as he watches me come closer. He reaches up with a long arm, rubbing at the back of his head and looking a little puzzled. The thin black fur on his head is caught up in a hot wind, as is the loose, strange skin covering his body. The human doesn't seem bothered, though, and I see something like relief enter his dark gray eyes.

"'N' there ya go, that'll be th' babe. Lookit 'er, she's grown quite a bit since th' last time we saw 'er. Filled out some, got a bit more muscle on 'er, gotten a bit taller. Kinda big fer a Kanga o' 'er age, actually." He smiles as he speaks and looks at the other human, who's about as tall, but is much skinnier. His skin is all one color, a sort of bright yellow that makes my eyes hurt. He looks really frail, like a Metapod would be able to knock him across the plains. His watery green eyes dart nervously to Momma, who hasn't moved or spoken yet. "Dun' ya worry none, now, that ol' girl knows we don' mean 'er or 'er babe no harm. I'd go as far as ta venture that she knows we're here ta help, even."

"Momma?" I ask, edging closer and trying to find a way past the humans that doesn't take me too close to them. "Are you okay? What's going on? Don't worry; I'll hold them off while you get away…"

"Jeena, dear, don't trouble yourself. I've seen these humans before. They help Pokemon who have been hurt or orphaned by humans like the ones who attacked our herd. They won't hurt us."

The humans watch us as we talk, and as I inch closer they step aside and let me pass without doing anything to me. I then hurry to Momma's side and turn to watch the humans, in case they try something. They just watch us though, the tall wide one grinning a lot.

"Now then, even though I'm sure th' ol' girl knows we're here ta help, she ain't gunna be easy ta transport. We ain't got time or th' funds fer a tow cage, and she ain't gunna let us jus' catch 'er 'n' 'er babe, no matter how much she knows we wanna do good by 'er. I doubt th' li'l un'd stand by 'n' let 'erself 'n' 'er ma get caught, too. So we're gunna have ta do this th' hard way, but we gotta keep it slow 'n' easy fer th' two o' 'em."

As the man speaks, he places a wide paw into the skin of his right leg. I cock my head a little, not noticing the human had pouches in his leg, and watch as he then draws out a small item. It turns out to be a ball of some kind, red on the top and white on the bottom, with a thin black band around the middle. The man does something to make the ball get bigger then, and he looks over at the skinny man, looking expectant.

"A-are you sure about this?" the frail-looking human says, sounding nervous. As he speaks, Momma smiles faintly and begins to weakly push herself into a sitting position. The skinny human makes a frightened squealing noise as he dances back. The big human laughs at this and shakes his head.

"Momma…what's going on?" I question, and Momma looks at me as she sighs.

"These humans are here to help, but we cannot simply let them take us away. No, that is not the nature of a Pokemon. We must test them, ensure they are strong enough to actually help us. And in order to test them, we must engage in a battle with them."

"But…but they're so small," I reply. "I mean, they're larger than me, but…wait, Momma, you can't battle! You're not fit for it!"

"Don't fret so much, dear. And either way, we must test them. It is our way, the way of Pokemon." As she talks, Momma sluggishly gets to her feet, and I toddle forward to press myself against her right leg as I turn back to the humans. The skinny one is standing behind the tall wide one, who is still holding the strange ball in his hand. "Now, dear, let us do this quickly so we may rest…"

The big human seems to understand Momma's words. Or maybe it's the look Momma gives him. Either way, he laughs and flings the ball into the air. It spins several times before opening with a sort of strange cracking sound, followed by a bright flare of white light. This arches from the air and lands on the ground, where it begins to take a rough form. Then the light fades and reveals an odd-looking Pokemon, the likes of which I've never seen.

It's a giant green insect of some kind, with huge red eyes that take up most of its oval-shaped head. Three blunt black spikes rise from its head, as well as the first two parts of its long, segmented body. A smaller, slightly sharper black spike rises from its tail, and red spots adorn its sides and back. Four white wings tipped with crimson blur as they beat the air, keeping the thing in the air as it hovers back and forth. Two smaller white wings on the sides of its tail flick every so often, seeming to act as counterbalances for the massive bug's weight. As it buzzes, its six spindly black legs twitch and jerk under its body.

"What is that thing?" I ask Momma, still pressed against her leg. She rumbles in her chest as she flexes herself.

"I have not seen one before, but I've heard them described. That is a Yanmega, a Pokemon discovered in the distant land of Sinnoh. They are speedy and agile, and though they look easy to beat, they're actually very tough. We shall have to be careful when fighting it." Here she looks at the skinny man, who is still standing behind the big human. "At least it seems we'll have only one opponent. The other human looks too scared to battle us."

Momma then bends down and gently moves me away from her leg with her good arm. I don't want to let go, because it seems if I let go then I'm failing my duty of protecting her. But even as sick as she is, Momma is still much stronger than I am, and finally I have to release her leg and move back a few paces. She smiles down at me, love and pride blazing in those amazing eyes, then rears to her full height. It's been so long since I've seen Momma do that…

"Now, my love, let me see how strong you are, and let me show you that I am still strong enough to defend you as well as you have defended me," she says, her voice loud and full of strength. I feel adoration swell in me, and a sense of power and assurance too. It's so incredible to see her standing, to see her ready for battle. Feeling more sure and confident than ever, I turn and clench my paws into fists, readying myself for the battle to come.

"Right, looks like they're ready then. Bocho, looks like yer on yer own in this un," the big man says, then gives the man hiding behind him a sort of irritated look. The skinny human scowls back, shaking his head and muttering something I can't hear. The big man doesn't reply, but turns back to Momma and me as the big Pokemon he owns buzzes loudly. "Now then, start this off with a Supersonic!"

The Yanmega pulls itself upright, so it's flying vertically to the ground, and flicks its tail towards Momma and me. The two small wings on the appendage start beating faster then before, and suddenly a horrible noise starts to swell from where the Pokemon is flying. Before it gets too unbearable, Momma suddenly leaps forward with surprising speed. She balls the paw of her good arm into a tight fist and throws it at the Yanmega's face, and it looks like she's going to land a solid blow to the Pokemon. Her fist stops a breath away from the Yanmega, though, but the Fake Out does its job. The startled Pokemon flinches back, its Supersonic interrupted by the feint.

Feeling I should do something to help, I charge forward and jump onto Momma's tail, then keep running. It's hard to keep my balance, but Momma bends down a little so it's not so hard. When I reach her head, I jump off and fly at the bug. It lifts a leg to try and defend itself, and I take the chance to attack. I open my jaws and catch the Pokemon's leg in them, using a Bite attack.

"Yeeeeeeee!" the Yanmega screeches, shaking its arm around as it tries to get me off. I hang on tenaciously though, kicking and swatting at the thing as I'm tossed around. Then it smacks me in the side with its tail, and I'm knocked off. I don't hit the ground though, because Momma catches me in her good arm before I can.

"Very nice, dear," Momma says as she holds me, and I turn in her gentle, protective grip to face the Yanmega as it glares at us, buzzing angrily. "I think we'll do quite well in this battle, if we can keep that sort of thing up. Now, I'm going to throw you into the air and attack the Yanmega, and when you come back down we'll surprise it with a double attack." I nod, and Momma pulls her arm down. Then she jerks it up, sending me into the air with tremendous power. I give a little yelp of surprise as I hurtle into the sky, then twist my body around to see what's happening below me.

Momma lunges at the Yanmega, who darts around in an effort to stay out of her grasp. The Pokemon's human calls out orders, but all I hear are muffled shouts. The skinny man is looking up at me, and I can make out the shock in his features. I snort a little as I start to fall back towards the ground, turning my attention back to the battle between Momma and the Yanmega.

Momma starts punching at the Yanmega, but none of her blows hit. Then I realize what she's doing: positioning it under me so that I can attack when I'm close enough. I wonder how she's tracking me at first, then see a black spot that must be my shadow. It gets bigger as I fall, and soon it falls on the Yanmega.

"Look out!" the skinny man cries. The big human scowls and looks back at him, then up at me when the smaller man points up. His eyes widen a little when he notices me.

"Bocho, MOVE!" he hollers, but all the order does is confuse the bug. He looks back at his human, giving Momma an opening. She jumps at the Yanmega and hits it in the chest with a powerful Mega Punch. The bug buzzes loudly as it gives a little squee of pain, trying to dart back from Momma. Before it can move, I get close enough to attack. Without waiting, I pull back a fist and then throw it down, cracking my knuckles against the Yanmega's head. At the same time, Momma spins around and smacks the bug with her tail, sending it crashing to the ground. I land on her tail a second later, and Momma lowers me to the ground as the startled humans gawk at us.

"Not bad!" the big human says after a moment, clapping his hands together loudly and giving a laugh. I feel Momma tense up beside me, and can tell that something's wrong. The man's laugh is too loud, and he looks too much at ease for someone who's just been defeated. "Nice teamwork, I ain't seen Pokemon work t'gether so well 'n years! But Bocho's been through a good number o' battles, he has, 'n' he ain't gunna go down that easy, no sir! Now Bocho, show 'em what ya got!"

Scowling, I look up at Momma, who suddenly spins around. Surprised, I start to turn as well, but a green blur comes shooting between us before I can turn all the way. There' s a fierce backlash of wind as the Yanmega tears by, and then a loud exploding noise. The wind increases in strength, and I'm blown off my feet with a startled cry. Momma gives a short roar as she staggers back, then my view is obscured by tall grass when I hit the ground a second later. Groaning and winded, I force myself to my feet and shake my head, a little stunned by the attack.

"SonicBoom," Momma says as she shakes herself, looking as dazed as I felt. We both turn to face the Yanmega as he does a neat midair flip, looking pleased with himself as he draws a leg through his fanged jaws. Momma grumbles a little at the taunt, and I toddle over to stand beside her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Momma," I reply, clenching my little paws into fists. "What should we do now?"

"We need to slow him down some," Momma answers, then nods. "I'll catch him with a Leer, and you move in and hit him with a Crush Claw while he's distracted." Then she charges forward without another word, then slides to a stop about a yard from the Yanmega and draws herself up. I watch as she locks her brilliant blue eyes onto the bug's fierce crimson ones, giving a bellow as she tosses her horns around.

"Bocho, avert your gaze!" the big man calls, but the Yanmega is caught in Momma's fierce gaze. It flitters back, its legs curling against its chest in an intimidated manner. I feel now is the perfect time and crouch down, running low through the tall emerald grass. At just the right time, I pop my head up over the grass, see I'm placed perfectly, and throw myself up at the Yanmega above me. Before the bug or his human can do anything, I swing a paw upwards with all my might, ramming my claws into the Pokemon's tough body.

The Yanmega shoots into the air as I land, and he buzzes loudly as he darts back and forth erratically. Then he angles his body towards me and drops from the air, wings pressing against his body, legs folding against his chest. I yelp and scramble backwards, but a twist of the Pokemon's tail keeps it falling towards me. Seconds before it collides with me, Momma roars and leaps in the way, thrusting her good arm out over my head. The Yanmega crashes into it face-first, its fangs closing around Momma's paw, legs clasping her arm. The momentum of the attack actually flips Momma into the air, snapping her arm down and causing her paw to smack into my head.

I stagger around a few paces before falling onto my butt, grabbing the top of my smarting head as Momma hits the ground in front of my, grunting as she lands on her side. I watch as the Yanmega releases flits in the air above us, buzzing faintly as he cocks his cocks his head at us.

"Momma, are you okay?" I ask groggily, my words coming out slightly slurred. My vision goes funny for a moment before clearing, and Momma gives a little moan as she blinks at me sluggishly.

"I'm fine, love," she mutters, rolling onto her belly and forcing herself to her feet. She sways when she tries to stand all the way, so instead she hunches over some, breathing hard. I try to get up, and it takes a few tries before I can do it without feeling sick. The pain in my head gets worse when I'm standing, but I ignore it as best I can. There are more important things to worry about right now than a little headache.

"All right Bocho, I think this is just 'bout over. Let's make this last move count! Hit 'em with a Bug Buzz, as strong as ya can make it!" the Yanmega's human says. I rub my head as I peer into the air, wondering what the man has told his Pokemon to do. Momma makes a tsk noise in her throat, the corner of one lip curling as she balls her good paw into a tight fist.

"That thing's Reversal has cost us a lot of energy," she says. "I don't know if we can withstand a Bug Buzz or not…"

"Momma, how is it you understand what the human is saying? And the Yanmega?" I ask, and Momma smiles a little.

"It comes with being around them so much. Perhaps one day you'll understand them…" I can tell by the soft tone of her voice that she's thinking about something sad, but I don't get the chance to ask what it is. Above us, the Yanmega starts buzzing, louder and louder, slowly flying lower. The closer he gets the worse the buzzing becomes, making it almost impossible to focus on anything else.

Just as it seems like the whole world's descended into nothing but mind-rending buzzing, I see a flash of movement. With a massive amount of effort, I manage to focus on what's happening. Momma's good paw flies through the air, her claws snapping shut around the Yanmega's face. At some point, it had drawn close enough for her to grab. The buzzing stops in the next second, thankfully, and now that the horrid noise is gone, I can clearly concentrate on what's taking place.

The Yanmega screeches as Momma's paw clasps his face, flinging himself around and beating his wings madly in an effort to get free. His spindly legs pound vainly against Momma's strong arm, which begins to spin in wide circles. After building up some power, she releases the Yanmega, sending it hurtling into the ground about a yard away. A sharp, abrupt cry emanates from the Yanmega as it hits the hot, hard-packed dirt beneath the grass, then it falls silent.

"I've never heard of er seen a Kanga 'n' 'er babe fightin' as a team like this afore," the big human mutters as Momma turns. His eyes go to where his Yanmega is buzzing feebly in the grass a few feet away. "Bocho…he's NEVER been beaten so quickly afore. Them two're right strong, even th' ma, despite 'er arm being shot as it is 'n' th' infection she's got." The man sighs as his Yanmega finally manages to stand. The Pokemon takes a few more minutes to get into the air, but it's apparent he's in no shape to battle anymore. His flight is erratic and sluggish, and he doesn't even look at us as he flies past us towards his human.

Then a bang rings out, one so horribly familiar and terrifying that I instinctively throw myself to the ground with a scream of fright. Then noise all around; a screech of agony from the Yanmega, the humans shouting frantically, Momma roaring, my own whining. Then a heavy weight lands on my back, and I thrash about in crazed fear to get whatever it is off me. When I finally do, I find it's the Yanmega. His legs are curled against his chest, which has a gaping hole in it. The hole is leaking a brownish-green liquid, and only when I see it do I notice the hot liquid trickling down my back.

It takes me a few moments to make sense of what's happened. When I stand and see a group of humans in the distance, it all clicks together. One of them is holding a long, thin black stick, like the one that hurt Momma and made her sick. Like the ones that hurt and killed so many of my herd. I understand when I see them that they've killed the Yanmega, and that we'll be next.

"Bocho!" the dead Pokemon's human cries, and I turn to watch him rush over and drop to his knees, scooping the deceased bug into his arms and holding it against his chest. It's odd, to see such a huge man holding something so tenderly. Tears run down the man's face, and I notice movement from the corner of my eye. The skinny human is running to the strange beast that brought him and the other human to this place. He pulls a part of it out and gets in, pulls the limb or whatever it is behind him, and seconds later the beast is roaring away.

"Those monsters!" Momma bellows angrily. I flinch from her wrath, even though it's not directed at me. "They killed an innocent Pokemon for no reason!"

Just as Momma finishes her sentence, there come two loud cracking sounds. Startled, I turn to see two flashes of light form into solid, colored figures. One is a short purple Pokemon with huge sparkling eyes that look like jewels. Two spikes grow back from each side of its face, and a red gem on its chest pulses with a soft glow. Another red gem on the Pokemon's back, along with smaller green and blue ones, shine brightly in the midday sun. Staring at the sheen makes my eyes hurt, so I look at the other Pokemon instead. This one is a bird, but instead of feathers, its body is encased in bright silver metal. Its large beak gapes open when it sees the motionless body of the Yanmega, and it tosses the curving horn on the top of its head around as it screeches in distress. It unfolds its wings, revealing red on their undersides, and whips its long, notched tail through the air. The purple Pokemon creeps towards the man and reaches out to place a paw on the bug's head, its entire body drooping in obvious sadness.

"Guys, them people over yonder're th' ones what did this t' poor Bocho," the man says quietly. "See, they must still be after the Kanga here 'n' 'er babe. 'N' I guess me 'n' Bocho were seen as a threat, so they shot 'im. They needa be taught a lesson fer this, friends, 'n' I reckon I feel like bein' th' one ta teach 'em." The two Pokemon nod slowly as the humans who attacked start shouting, their tones angry. Apparently, they're not happy the man has more Pokemon. "Sheek, get rid o' their weapons. Doa, free 'em o' any PokeBalls they might got. Then I'll show 'em how ta really fight, without the damned cowardly use o' guns 'n' bullets."

The steel bird screeches as it gives its wings a powerful flap, throwing itself into the air and tearing towards where the other humans are shouting loudly. As it flies off, the other Pokemon seems to sink into the ground, vanishing completely a few minutes later. As I watch the bird speeding towards the humans, I see the big man look at us, sadness clear in his rough features. He continues to cradle the dead Yanmega to his chest, tears swimming in his eyes as I face him fully.

"Dun' ya worry none, li'l un, we'll protect ya 'n' ma, keep ya both safe…" he says, while in the distance the other humans give cries of "What the hell!?" and "Shoot the damn thing, come ON!"

A bang sounds out, and with a yelp I fling my arms over my head. My attention turns back to the humans, and I see the steel bird has the long thin stick in its talons. It screeches as it flies high into the air, taking the humans' weapon with it. Then the purple Pokemon suddenly rises from the ground amidst them, though they don't notice because they're too busy looking up and shouting at the bird. Deftly, the strange-looking Pokemon darts back and forth between the humans, and by the time they notice anything going on, the violet-colored Pokemon has run off. I catch glimpses of it as it runs through the tall grass; clutched in its hands are several of the red-and-white orbs that are used to hold Pokemon.

The big man nods once and bends over a little, setting the Yanmega on the ground before standing. Up in the sky, the steel bird gives a scream and dives, landing a few seconds beside its human. It holds its wings up and out, anger and sorrow radiating from it as it caws harshly in the direction of the humans that killed its friend. Moments later, the other Pokemon runs up to the man and drops the orbs by his feet, then turns and lets out a furious hiss.

The other humans fall silent as the big man starts to walk towards them, followed by his Pokemon. I watch, wanting to do something, too. The Yanmega was our foe, yes, but not one who was supposed to die. He had been trying to help us, and we'd all simply been doing what Pokemon do: battling. His murder was unacceptable!

I take a step forward, but before I can take another, Momma moves herself in front of me a little. She shakes her head and speaks without looking at me.

"This is their battle now, love. Those monsters killed an innocent Pokemon, our worthy foe. But that man and his Pokemon lost a dear friend, something much deeper and more meaningful than a brief period of being foes when Pokemon battle could ever be. Let them handle it as they must. It isn't our place to do anything but watch, for now…" I nod slowly, not understanding some of what Momma says, but grasping enough to know that now isn't the time for acting.

The man and his Pokemon get about halfway to the group of humans when one of them, a tall skinny human with white legs and a yellow upper body, reaches to his neck and grabs something around it. I squint to see what he's doing, but I can't make out much of anything. I don't really have to though, because Momma has the best sight a Pokemon could ask for. I hear her gasp, then say, "That man had a PokeBall on his necklace, hidden under his shirt! The Sableye missed that one because she didn't know it was there!" Then she lets out a loud, angry growl, and together we watch as the man jerks his arm down and out. I can barely make out the outline of a small item flying through the air, before it opens with a crack and a flare of light.

"Dammit!" the big human shouts, and he quickly moves back several paces as his Pokemon assume protective stances in front of him. The five of us remain still as the bright flare of light takes on a form, then fades away to reveal the Pokemon that had been inside the orb. The thing shakes and stretches it large, segmented amethyst body, the two arms on its head waving around in a somewhat crazed motion as it does. A tail like its head-arms sways through the air behind it, and the ivory claws on both the arms and the tail click open and closed. After stretching, it skitters forward a few paces on its four spindly legs, the large white fangs that protrude from its jaws twitching as it moves.

"Drapion, take them all down!" yells the Pokemon's human, his voice pitched high in his fury. "Destroy them all, the Kangaskhan, her stupid baby, that man, and his damned Pokemon! Kill them, I want them all DEAD for trying to face us like they're worth anything!" I don't understand his words, but they make me feel angrier and more like fighting. I growl, a weird sounding growl that sounds more like the play-growl of a baby than anything else. Still, it gets my point across, and Momma nods when she hears it.

"Yes baby, NOW we get involved!" Then she bellows like a bull Kangaskhan driving off an unwelcome outsider, charging forward as the steel bird shoots into the air and the purple humanoid Pokemon dances forward. After a second, I leap into action, running after Momma as the bug-looking thing called a Drapion hisses, swinging its head-arms around as it scuttles towards the Sableye.

Then there's so much going on I can't really concentrate on what to do. The steel bird drops from the air, its wings glowing brilliantly as it plummets, screeching, towards the Drapion. The Sableye darts back and forth, then slides to a stop and flings her arms towards the other purple Pokemon. As she does, rocks of all sizes dislodge themselves from the ground and zoom towards the Drapion. At the same time, Momma closes in and throws a fist at the right side of the Drapion's head.

But the odd-looking Pokemon refuses to go down so easily. It drops the front part of its body, smacking the steel bird from the air with its tail as the silver Pokemon comes within a foot of striking it. Then, it fluidly stands up, its head-arms moving as blurs as it snatches the rocks coming at it in its claws. Finally, the thing flings the rocks it'd just gathered at Momma, while hitting her in her bad arm with the claws on its tail. Momma screams in pain as she's knocked to the ground, several feet from where the steel bird lays, stunned.

As I watch Momma writhing on the ground, moaning in agony, a rage like nothing I've ever felt washes over me. I'm so terribly mad I can't make a sound. I barely notice the red tingeing the edges of my vision, or the fact that the Sableye has run up to the distracted Drapion and managed to jump onto its back. The shouts of the big man and the others humans sound distant and distorted; the only thing I clearly hear is Momma's agonized moans and grunts as she twists about on the hot ground.

For the first time in my short life, I roar.

For the first time, I want to kill.

I hurdle towards the Drapion, barreling recklessly down upon it as the Sableye yanks on its head-arms and stomps on the back of its head. I don't care about any of that, though. All I care about is utterly decimating the Drapion for hurting Momma, for daring to touch her bad arm and make her go through all that horrid suffering. I roar again as I leap, the distance between me and my enemy closing rapidly, and land on the evil thing's face. Without thinking, without hesitation, I snap my jaws shut around its right eye, kicking at its jaws with my feet, clawing at its other eye with one paw while clinging to the Drapion's face with the other.

The Drapion shrieks as my little claws dig into its eye and my small but sharp teeth bury themselves in the flesh above and beneath its other. It shakes its head about crazily, trying to dislodge me, but I hold on with all my strength and kick and claw and bite it with all my might. Then I feel something hard and sharp close around both my sides: the Drapion tears me from its face with its head-arms and throws me heavily to the ground. A piece of the thing's face comes with me in my jaws, which I spit out when I land. Blood stains my mouth and left paw, thick and dark yellow. It tastes disgusting,

I then stand, growling at the sharp pain that shoots through my sides from the motions. I look down and see shallow gouges in my sides, probably from where the Drapion's claws cut into me as it threw me down.

I look back at my foe, seeing now the damage I'd done to it. The Pokemon's left eye is swollen shut, blood dripping from between the tightly-pressed lids. The right eye has blood flowing into it from a small hole about an inch above it, as well as from where my teeth pierced the Pokemon's tough hide. Several small wounds beneath the eye also leak blood. Cuts mar a small area of its jaws from where the claws on my toes sliced into it while I was kicking.

It screams as it faces, me shaking itself furiously as it tries to peel its injured eye open. Then it screams again as dozens of rocks pelt its head and neck, and shimmering blades of translucent air slam into its back, driving it to the ground. Finally, Momma comes running into view, crashing her bulk into the Drapion's body and falling upon it with her full weight. The Drapion gives a shrill squeal, which is abruptly cut off as Momma lashes out with her good arm, smashing the lavender Pokemon's left temple and knocking its head into the ground with enough force to kick up a plume of dirt.

And as suddenly as it started, the battle is over.

Then I stagger and collapse to my knees, pain wracking me as nausea makes my stomach do sudden rolls. I feel hot, like I'm burning, then suddenly I feel like I'm going to freeze to death. I feel a layer of sweat coat me as I collapse to the ground, trembling and crying as darkness clouds my vision.

"Poison…need to…help…deal with…later…"

The words make no sense; I don't know who's speaking them. All I know is hurt and sickness, which fades, thankfully, as darkness descends upon me fully…

* * *

~Six Weeks Later~

I stand in front of the mound dark brown earth, staring at the simple stone tablet that marks where Momma will sleep for the rest of time. I wonder about what to say, because I know I have to say something. Today is a big day, and I can't leave without doing this. It takes me a while, but as a warm breeze sends a single white cloud crawling along the blue sky, I begin.

"Momma…well, today's it. Doa says we're gonna leave today. We've got to head out soon, if we want to catch up with the poachers that attacked us and bring them in. I still can't believe they ran away and left their Pokemon behind. But don't worry, we found new, good Trainers to adopt them. They'll be treated as friends and partners now, as it should be, instead of tools.

"It's been five weeks since the infection, well, you know…I'm sorry, Momma. I couldn't protect you. I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but feel so bad for not doing more for you when you were alive. I won't let it get me down though. I'll use it to get stronger and make sure I can protect my new friends in the adventures we'll have. Oh, I should mention, I guess, that I'm going to be Dodger's Pokemon. Remember, Doa told me Dodger wanted me to join the party a few weeks ago, and I finally accepted the offer last night. So you don't have to worry about me, not ever. I'm going to grow stronger and make you proud, so you can finally rest, wherever you are."

I fall silent as I stare at the mound of dirt, going over all that's happened to me in the past six weeks…

I remembered waking to gentle hands washing the wounds the Drapion had inflicted on me, remembered Doa, the Sableye, explaining how I'd been poisoned.

I remembered being told humans had fled after the Drapion had been knocked out, and how Dodger had let them go. He'd had more important matters to see to, like burying his Yanmega and getting all of us taken care of.

I remembered how Momma had grown worse and worse in the days after the battle with the Drapion.

I remembered how Sheek explained that a cyst in Momma's arm had been popped when the Drapion had struck her, and that the resulting flood of new infection meant Momma would never get better.

I remembered the day they gently ended her misery with a simple shot. I had been there with her till the very end.

I remembered her final words to me, whispered as the pain left her in the first time in months, and she was finally at peace: "You are ready, love. You are ready…"

I remembered watching Dodger and a few other humans bury Momma.

I remembered being asked to join Dodger's team and help stop poachers like the ones who'd attacked us, the ones that had essentially been the cause of Momma's death.

I remembered long nights of thinking, of not knowing, of being scared and uncertain and sad and lost.

I sigh softly as I push away all those memories. Now, now I understand what Momma's last words to me meant. I WAS ready, I always had been. It's time to start a new life, a life to make sure what has happened to me and Momma, to countless other Pokemon all over the world, won't happen to more innocents.

"One day we'll be together again, and when we are we can talk and laugh and look back on all the things that made us great. And now…I have to go. I can hear Dodger calling for me. I don't know how, but he can understand his Pokemon as well as they understand him, and they told him my name. Before I go, though, I just want you to know I love you. I wanted to make sure you knew.

"Goodbye for now, Mother…"


End file.
